Spring turning mechanism



June 27, 1%3? B. R. SCHNEIDER El AL SPRING TURNING MECHANISM Filed March 16, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet l l ENTORS KAR KAISER R. SCHNEIDER June 2?, 1933,

B. R. SCHNEIDER ET AL 1,915,957

SPRING TURNING MECHANISM Filed March 16, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

INVEQNTORS ERNARD R. SCHNEIDER June 27, 1933. B. R. SCHNEIDER ET AL. 1,915,957

SPRING TURNING MECHANISM Filed March 16, 1951 :5 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTORS Patented June 27, 1933 UNITED sures P TENT; orrrce mmrwm R- GHNE ER, or LYNDHUIBST, am; KARL 9 .BJ QQEEQQPJHW J EY. ASSIGNOBS. BY ME H ASSIGNMJEIWS, are -:;KAB-?E.1Y it race. o carcass ILLINOIS, A GORPORATIQN 0F ILLINQIS SPRING TURNING amnesia;

nterim and $5113 an isriel 5, 9.85.-

The invention relates to novel and improved mechanism for positioning springs in the pockets of a continuous fabric strip.

Fabric strips with helical or other coil springs inserted in proper position in their pockets are utilized in upholstery of various classes and especially mattresses andthe like. By preferred methods, or mechanism the springs are inserted in such position that t eir axes are perpendicular to the. normal plane otthe strip; that axial direction represents the Shortest dimension of the pocket when distended by :the spring and it is desir- 2able to turn the springs so that their axes are parallel in a transverse direction to the normal plane otthe strip this represents the longest dimension of the pocket, so that after proper turning, the spring is positioned in the desired mannerilcrigthwise of this longest pocket dimension.

" The present mechanism receives and advances the strip and successively positions "the springs (and corresponding pocket portions of the strip) for the turning operation, and while'so positioned effects turning tothe proper position, as above referred to, rapidly, efficiently and accurately by novel means for "fabric lina-nipulating or pinching, and pushing action exerted upon the springends at opposite sides thereof; whereby the spring is properly andquickly-turned withoutinj ury to the fabric; the strip is then advanced to position the next spring and pocket "for the turning action, and soon.

The characterist cs and advantages ofthe invention are further sufficiently explained in connectionwith thetollowing' detailed description of the accompanying draw ngs,

which show arepresentative embodiment. Afterconsidering tlns example, sk lled persons will understand that many variations;

may be made without departing from the principles disclosed,-and we conte nplatethe employment 01 21113 ..S'tfllCljlllQSillilt- 3T8 properly within the scope of the appended claims. F 1 is aside elevation ofinechanisni embodyingtheinvention in one form; t

Fig. 2 is a front elevation;(lool:ing;toward theright ofLFig. 1)

3 is a detail in theiplane of, or iron lar to the broad plane o fthe strip, as sufliciently shown Fig-2. lhe turret including plate a andaodsfi, acts as means for feeding or a d-vancing and positioning the (spring spring is; shown ingE igs; 1" and 4.

be changed if desired so that each toothor the same viewpoint as Fig. 2, showing especially the vibratory spring manipulating fingore and one stage of the turning operation Fig-W4C is an elevation at the right otiFig. 8; and Figs. 5, .6 and 7 are plan views of the strip and spring at the turning station showing succes'sive stages of the turning action.

Any suitable mechanism vmaybe. employed for receiving the fabric for registry relative 5 to the spring turnmg elements, and accordingly the illustrated mechanism serves as an enample of one embodiment of such mechanisrn.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a standard .5 or frame upright 1 supports -a-Ebearing sleeve 2 in which a turret shaft 3 revolubly moinited. At its inward end this shaft carries a plated in which near its periphery are mounted ax ally extending rods :5, ciycularly 1- arranged and spaced in agreement with the spacing of thetransyerse'; sewed strip portionsfi, l, '5, etc.,-between-the pockets 7 .ofthe continuous fabric strip 8. lhis strip gitudinal .edge connected stitching-9 to -form-=the pockets in each of which a. spring. 1-0 has been placed with its axis perpendicuis folded atone'edge and has the other 1011- containing strip at the turning -position or stat1on wherein a strip portion or poclget and 85 The turretis rotated intermittently ;to advancethe strip byratchet mechanism including a ratchet wheel 15 fixed on the outward end of shaft 3 and having teeth 1 6 engaged by a pawl lfiapivotally connected to a rock 0 lever 1' 7 which is mounted to sci'llateon shatt 3 or about the shaft bearing 2. As shown, the spacing of the ratchet teeth 16 is such thattwo of them correspond-to a pocket space of the iabric strip thereforemoved to advancethe ratchet wheel and the pawl is 5 and turret two-tooth spaces in each action;

but evidently the spacing of-the ra-tchet teeth or'ofthe notches engaged by the pawl may pawl notch corresponds to one strip-pocketlength. The rock lever 17 is oscillated at proper times by a link 18 connected to a lever 19 which has a cam roll 20 engaging the periphery of a cam 21, which is fixed on a shaft 22 mounted in bearings in frame uprights or standards 23, 24. This is one of the main drive shafts of the machine. The lever is fulcrumed on a shaft or bar 25 mounted in lower portions of the standards 23, 24 and is urged in the return direction by a spring 26. Thespring thus acts to retract pawl 16, and

y the cam advances the pawl to rotate the turrot in the feeding action at the proper time,

. as will appear.

Suitable means are provided for effecting proper final positioning of each spring relative to the fabric. As explained hereinabove, it is advantageous to locate each spring in a position relative to the fabric other than in the final position f each spring. In the manufacture of upholstery cushioning, the fabric is preferably pre-formed with partition stitchings, weavings, etc., such partition connections preferably securing the upper and lower layers of the fabric directly to one 7 another, the mouths of the pre-formed pockets being disposed at one longitudinal side only of the fabric, the greatest dimension of the pocket being disposed in the direction in which each spring is inserted in its pocket,

and after insertion of each spring, the fabric is sewed to close the mouths at such longitudinal edge.

In the embodiment of this feature of our invention, as illustrated in the drawings, we

. turning elements to the spring.

cate in guides in a supporting arm 33, err-- tending from standard 1. The locking member is urged to engage in the successive notches by a spring 34 and is retracted to permit the feeding action by*a lever 35 fulcrumed on the fixed shaft or bar 25 above mentioned and havinga cam roll 36 engaging the periphery of a cam 37 on shaft 22.

' To properly hold the strip and pocket in V turning position, the strip portions 6 intermediate the pocket are engaged by the ends a of spring-pressed plungers-40, carried by short arms or lugs 41 on rods 42 extending from the upper arms of crank-ievers 43,

which are fulcrumed at 44 at opposite sides (as viewed in front elevation, Fig. 1) of an upward extension 45 of standard 1, on arms 46 extending laterally therefrom. This extension or standard portion has guides 47, 48 for a vertically movable slide 49, which has a lug with a horizontal face 50 engaging rolls 51 carried by the crank-levers 43. The slide is moved to operate the crank levers, to retract and advance the retaining plungers at the proper times, by a lever including arms 53 and 54, fulcrumed at 55 on a frame piece connected to arm 33. Lever arm 53 has its end located under a roll 56 on the lower end of slide 49, and arm 54 has a cam roll 57 engaging the periphery of a cam 58 fixed on shaft 22, and designed to advance or permit advance of the spring plungers 40 after a strip pocket has come to rest in turning position, this advance being effected by gravity due to the weight of levers 43, or, if desired, by springs applied to them (not here shown). After the turning operation and before the turret moves to advance the strip, the cam raises the spring plungers to positions clear of the strip and pockets.

The turning mechanism proper, constitut ing a principal feature of the invention, comprises pairs of fingers located respectively above and below the spring and pocket and at the turning station, with means for rapidly vibrating, or moving the fingers convergently and divergently and at the same time advancing the two pairs of fingers to engage the fabric constituting the pocket and to act through the fabric upon the spring, as more fully described below. The upper and lower turning mechanisms 60 are substantially identical. Each includes a body or slide 61 having spaced bearing sleeves 62 mounted to slide on a shaft 63. The upper shaft is located above the turret, that is, above the strip-supporting rods 5'Wl11l6 the lower shaft extends within the turret, that is, to a position below the two uppermost rods see Figs. 1 and 2).

The shafts 63 are mounted to rotate in bearings 64 in an upright frame structure 65; A cam-sleeve or eccentric-sleeve 66 is mounted slidably on each shaft 63 between the adjacent ends of the bearings 62 of the corresponding slide 61 and connected by a key or spline engaging in a spline channel 67 of the shaft to turn therewith. This sleeve has two oppositely arranged or; acting cams or eccentrics 68 acting on cam rolls 69 of arms or levers 70 located at opposite sides of the shaft and' fulcrumed at 71 on bearing pins in lugs 72, .on the slide. The arms 70 thus extend respectively downward and upward from the upper and lower turning structures, and have at their ends adjacent the fabric strip, turning fingers 73 which are preferably. as best shown in cross-section in (Figs. 5 to 7), of generallv triangular form, providing angularly arranged active serrated faces 74, to cooperate with the strip fabric and spring in either direction of movement, as will appear. The arms 7 0 and fingers 73 are urged to move convergentiy lay-springs 75 tnsionedbetween the arms,

Each sliders held and guided in proper position as it reciprocates on its shaft 63, by a gib r key 76 engaging in a channel 77 carried by an arm 78 extending from the frame structure 65.

The slides are reciprocated at the proper times, simultaneously. in opposite directions, by oppositely directed levers 8G, 81, fixed on a rock shaft 82 mounted in a bearing in frame s'tructure'65. The ends of these levers are connected to the respectiveslidesfil by links 83, and one of thelevers-or lever links is connectedas by a link 84 to a main slide-operat- 'ihg lever 85. which is flilclf't'lined at 86 at the base of the frame structure 55 and has a cam roll 87 engaging in a. cam track 88 of a cam body 89 secufid on a shaft 90, which is arranged ata right angle to shaft 22 previously mentioned and connected to it by bevel gears 91 of such diameters that shaft 90 rotates at one-half the speed of shaft 22.

Either of these shafts may be considered the initial or primary driving shaft of the ma.-

chine, or of all of its mechanism except the means for vibrating or oscillating the turning a pulleys? on one of the shafts, which is driven by a belt 98 from the'puli'ey of an electric motor, or in any other convenient way,

to rotate shafts 63 at the desired high speeds.

The fabric strip coming from the spring inserting mechanism (which is toward the left side of the turret, as viewed in Fig. 1), with the springs located in the pockets with their mates perpendicular to the normal plane 3 of the strip, that is, in radial relation to the turretaxis up to the point of turning, and expanded to the extent permitted by distenof the pocket material in the stated direction, is engaged with the turret rods -'5 in a manner easilyunderstood in Figs. 1 and 2;

that is, with each inward portion of apocket located between two of the rods and with the intermediate flat portions of the strip lying upon the rods so that the turret with 7 its irod'sacts practically as -'a sprocket to positively advance the strip and position one pocket and spring for turning, in amanner sufficiently explained above. While the;

spring and pocket are moving to such position theheads or slides 61 carryingthe turnin g fingers "73 are retracted laterally, one

"of the heads with its fingers being located to one side of the strip, as viewed in Fig. 2,

i and the otherhead and lingers heinglooated near the other side, these positions in each successive turning action being relatively reversed, as will appear. The fingers on each pair, that is, those carried by each slide 61,

are continuously vibrated or moved rapidly toward and away from each other byrotation of shafts 63. Cam 88 now acts to move the two slides convergently with relation to the spring and strip center, bringing the finthe spring respectively, and moved or a itated in relation to the spring as the alt es advance, and the fingers act on the spring to turn it in the manner clearly indicated in Fig. 8, in which the spring has been partly turned, (successive positions during turning being 'sho'wn'in Figs. 5' and 6) and by the progressive movement of the slides and fingers the spring is finally turned through an angle of 90 or to the final position, as shown in Fig. 7, in which its axis is parallel to the widthwise plane of the strip. The spring now occupies thelonges't dimension ofthe pocket and expands to the desired degree as controlled by the pocket length. i

The two sets of fingers which', -in the part of the turning operation, move convergently, pass each other at about the mid oint of the turning action and then move Ivergently (with respect to the strip center) and finally when turning is completed each pair is located at the side of the'strip opposite to its first position.

The holding plungers 410 are now retract 1 ed, the locking member 31 is retracted to free the turret, and the ratchet mechanism acts to turn the turret a distance equalto one pocket length (lengthwise of the strip) the turret is againlocked, the holding plungers are advanced to grip the fabric upon the two uppermost rods 5, and the turningslides are then moved in the opposite direction to that first mentioned for another turning action;

and those actions are repeated indefinitely.

It will now be understood thatshait 90 is connectedto shaft 22 to turn at one half the speed of the latter so that cam 89 willmake only one-half turn during a completeturn of shaft 22, to traverse the turning slides in only one direction in'each action. I

The rapid vibration of the turningfingers does not exert a'beating action upon the machine cycle or'turning springs, but rather a vibratory pushing ac tion exerted continuously and smoothly in one direction (with respect to each pairof fingers) and with accompanying alternatlng pinching and releasing 21Ct10n 011 exerted pressure of the fingers at the top and bottom of the spring. Turning is also expedited or facilitated after the action is approximately one-half completed (or :wheniin the position shown in Fig. 6), by the natural expansive tendency of the spring, which causes it to seek the position of greatest expansion, namely, lengthwise of the pocket in a transverse direction of the'strip, as shown in Fig. 7. I

From the above, it is apparent that the invention is applicable of embodiment in va- .rious mechanical forms providing for the positioning of the fabric at successive stages and the turning of the springs within the fabric pockets successively at therespective stages by the disclosed instrumentalities for impartingasuccession of vibratory spring turning movements by engagement with the fabric. I I r The periodicity of the vibratory movement may be in correspondence to the natural period of vibration of the springs, subject to the damping action of the enclosing fabric. Whereas the invention has been set forth by reference to specific forms of the invena w ell tion, it will be understood that many changes I and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim I 1. A spring turning machine comprising means for positioning a fabric strip formed with pockets and springs contained in the pockets, and turning mechanism including I oppositely pairs of fingers arranged to move in continuous direction to cooperate with op- I posite sides of the spring at opposite ends thereof and turn it within the pocket, and means forvibratorily moving the fingers during the turning action. I I q .2. A spring turning machine comprising means for positioning a fabric strip formed .with pockets and springs contained in the pockets, turning mechanismincluding oppo-.

sitely moving supports, pairs of fingers on the supports arranged to move in continuous di- I rectionto cooperate with opposite sides of the spring at opposite ends thereof and turn it within the :pocket, and means I for vibratorily moving the fingers duringthe turning action.

3. A spring turning machine comprising means for positioning a fabric strip. formed with pockets and springs contained in the pockets, and turning mechanism including supports arranged for opposite movement toward the pocket and spring, a pair of fin-,

i gers on each support, and means for rapidly convergently and divergently moving the fingers of each pair,

4. A spring turning machinecomprising means for positioning a fabric strip formed with pockets and springs containedin the pockets, turning mechanism includingsu-pports arranged for oppositennovement toward and past the pocket spring, a pair of fingers oneach support, means for rapidly convergently and divergently moving the'fingers ofeach pair.

strip 5 A spring turningmachine comprising means for positioning a fabric strip formed with pockets and springs contained in the pockets, turning mechanism including supports arranged for opposite movement toward the pocket and spring, a pair of fingers on each support, meansfor rapidly convergently and divergently moving the fingers of each pair, and means for moving the supportsslmultaneously in opposite directions multaneously in respectively reversed directions in the next turning action.

6. A spring turmng machlne comprising meansfor positioning a fabric strip formed,

with pockets and springs contained in the pockets, turning mechanism including supports arranged for opposite movement tospringsfor turning, means for clamping the intermediate stripportions on the, supports while turning, turning mechanism acting on opposite sides of opposite ends of the spring through. the pocket material, said turning mechanism comprising pairs of relatively movable fingers and means for rapidly moving the fingers of each pairconvergently and divergentl during advance in contact with the spr n I 8. Spring turning mechanism comprising a turret having strip supporting rods, means for rotating the turret to position the springs for turning, and turning mechanism comprising oppositely movable slides and vibra tory turning fingers thereon. I r

9. Spring turnlng mechanism comprising a turret having strip supporting rods, means for rotating the turret to position the springs for turning, turning mechanism comprising oppositely movable slides and vibratory turning fingers thereon, rotary shafts supporting the slides, and cams on the shafts for ac'- tua-tin the fingers.

pring turning mechanism comprismg a turret havlng strip supporting rods, means for rotatingthe turret to position the springs for turning, turning mechanism com-- .prislng oppositely movable slides and vibratory turning fingers thereon, rotary shafts supporting the slides, cams on the shafts for actuating the fingers, and means for rotating the shafts at high speed, I

in one turning action and substantially si- I Cir 11. Spring turning mechanism comprising a turret having strip supporting rods, means for rotating the turret to position the springs for turning, turning mechanism comprising oppositely movable slides and vibratory turning fingers thereon, rotary shafts supporting the slides, cams on the shafts for actuating the fingers, and means independently of said turret rotated means for rotating the shafts at high speed.

12. A. turning instrnmentality for purposes described, comprising a slide, a driving shaft, arms connected to the slide, a

spring urging the arms convergently, cams; 

